Setting device for a carding engine

ABSTRACT

A carding engine having a main toothed cylinder, a taker-in, a doffer, and a revolving flats assembly positioned above the outer periphery of the cylinder in the region between the taker-in and the doffer, in which a fixed bend and a flexible bend are adjustably interconnected so as to define a required working path for the moveable flats whereby the spacing between the fixed bend and the adjustable bend can be adjusted to enable any desired predetermined clearance values to be pre-set between the tips of the flats and the outer periphery of the main cylinder, and including a number of setting devices which are arranged at spaced apart setting locations with respect to the working path and which operative to provide a predictable adjustment movement from the pre-set clearance values between the tips of the flats and the outer periphery of the main cylinder set by the adjustment means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a setting device for a carding engine having amain toothed cylinder and a revolving flats assembly comprising flatswhich are moveable along a working path adjacent to the outer peripheryof the main cylinder to carry out a carding operation in cooperationwith the teeth of the cylinder, and to a method of adjusting the settingof the clearances between the flats and the main cylinder.

The invention is particularly applicable to a "cotton card", though ofcourse other fibrous feed stock than cotton can be carded on suchcarding engines, including synthetics.

It is very important to set-up and to maintain pre-set clearancesbetween the tips of the teeth of the cylinder and the "flats" so thatefficient carding operations can be carried out, and typical clearancesfor cotton feed stock may be of the order of 0.10 inches, whereasclearances of the order of 0.02 inches, for example, may be suitable forsome synthetics.

It is also important to obtain substantially uniform clearance betweenall parts of the cylinder surface and the revolving flats as theycooperate along the working path, and this can only be achieved by theadoption of suitable manufacturing standards in the manufacture andassembly of the cylinder and the wire clothing thereon and also of theflats. However, the setting of any particular clearances required forany given operation is carried out at present by relativelyunsophisticated techniques on site.

The working path of the revolving flat assembly is usually defined by aso-called "flexible bend" on which run support rollers or slides whichsupport the movement of the flats. The flexible bend is curved tocorrespond with the curvature of the cylinder, but small adjustmentsalong the length of the flexible bend in radial spacing from the axis ofthe cylinder are usually required to obtain desired clearances.

The setting of the clearances is usually carried out by use of "feelergauges" inserted between the flats and the cylinder periphery atdifferent positions along the working path, and necessary small radialadjustments of the flexible bend are then made along its length toobtain the required flats/cylinder clearances. However, inevitably thequality of the setting operation can vary from one operator to another,by reason of the nature of the task, in that the feeler gauge is beinginserted into the gap between the tips of wire teeth and the way inwhich the operation is carried out can give different results ofmeasured clearance between one operator and another, i.e. one operatormay tend to force the gauge into the clearance gap whereas another maybe satisfied with a looser fit. Also, the wires on the "flats" areusually more flexible than the wires on the cylinder, and therefore thesetting operation is very much dependent upon operator skill andattention or individual "feel", and this makes the setting operationsunpredictable, varying from one operator to another.

The adjustment usually takes place at setting points (usually five)acting between a fixed part of the carding engine, usually a so-called"fixed bend", and the flexible bend. Once the adjustments have beencompleted, the carding engine can then be operated for substantialperiods. However, over a period of time, wear takes place (especially ofthe flats wires), and re-grinding then becomes necessary, and it thenbecomes essential to re-set the clearances to take into account there-grinding which has taken place.

Furthermore, modern equipment may require closer settings, and there istherefore an additional need to de-skill the setting operations and takeaway the present reliance upon individual skill and attention or "feel"of the operative carrying out the setting operation.

Also, in the event of a requirement to adjust the clearances set for onetype of feed stock, e.g. cotton, to say synthetics, a differentclearance has to be set. Using existing techniques, this requires acomplete re-setting operation using feeler gauges as described above.This is a time consuming task, and represents significant "down time",especially when converting the carding engine to operate with adifferent type of feed stock. In addition, there is the remainingdependency of the accuracy of the clearance set being dependent onindividual operator skill and attention given to the task.

Finally, there is at present an unfulfilled requirement by operators ofcarding engines for provision of quick and reliable adjustment ofpre-set flats clearances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore seeks to provide means whereby improvedsetting of the flats clearances can be achieved, and which is moreconsistently achievable and with less reliance upon the need foroperator skill and attention.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a cardingengine comprising: a main toothed cylinder; a revolving flats assemblycomprising flats which are movable along a working path adjacent to theouter periphery of the main cylinder in order to carry out a cardingoperation in co-operation with the teeth of the cylinder; a fixed bendand an adjustable bend which are adjustably interconnected so as todefine a required working path for the movable flats in which thespacing between the fixed bend and the adjustable bend can be adjustedto enable any desired predetermined clearance values to be pre-setbetween the tips of the flats and the outer periphery of the maincylinder; and a number of setting devices which are arranged at spacedapart setting locations with respect to the working path and which areof a type such that, for a given indicated adjustment there is apredictable adjustment movement of the flats clearances.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided acarding engine comprising: a main toothed cylinder; a revolving flatsassembly comprising flats which are movable along a working pathadjacent to the outer periphery of the main cylinder in order to carryout a carding operation in co-operation with the teeth of the cylinder;a fixed bend and an adjustable bend which are adjustably interconnectedso as to define a required working path for the movable flats;adjustment means operative to vary the spacing between the fixed bendand the adjustable bend so as to enable any desired predeterminedclearance values to be pre-set between the tips of the flats and theouter periphery of the main cylinder; and a number of setting deviceswhich are arranged at spaced apart setting locations with respect to theworking path and which are of a type such that, for a given indicatedadjustment there is a predictable adjustment movement from the pre-setvalues of the flats clearances.

Preferably, each setting device is mounted at a respective settinglocation on the adjustable bend.

Further, each setting device may have a controllable input which isindexable to provide controlled adjustment of the spacing between thefixed bend and the adjustable bend at the respective setting location.

Each controllable input may comprise an angularly adjustable input,preferably in the form of an indexable input head, but alternativelyeach input may comprise a linearly adjustable input which is operable toconvert linear adjustment generally circumferentially of the workingpath into generally radial adjustment of the respective setting devicerelative to the fixed bend.

The setting devices may be individually adjustable, or alternativelycoupled together for joint actuation.

The setting devices may be manually adjustable e.g. by use of anangularly adjustable micrometer type head, or alternatively a poweroperated input arrangement may be provided for the setting devices.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided amethod of adjusting the setting of a carding engine which comprises amain toothed cylinder and a revolving flats assembly co-operating withsaid main cylinder and having flats which are movable along a workingpath adjacent to the outer periphery of the main cylinder with pre-setclearances between the flats and the outer periphery of the cylinder soas to carry out a carding operation in co-operation with the teeth ofthe main cylinder, said method comprising carrying out controlledadjustment of the clearances from pre-set values using setting deviceswhich are spaced apart along the path of the movable flats and which areof a type such that, for a given indicated adjustment, there ispredictable adjustment movement from the pre-set values of the flatsclearances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in moredetail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a revolving-flat type cardingengine to which the invention may be applied;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration showing the interaction which takesplace between the teeth of the moveable flats and the cylinder wireteeth in the carding engine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of part of a flats clearance settingdevice used in the carding engine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of theinvention, having a number of adjustable flats clearance setting devicesarranged along the working path of movement of the flats;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of one of the individual setting devices ofFIG. 4 in more detail;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of possible variation in theclearance setting of the flats along the working path which may beachieved, using the setting devices;

FIG. 7 is a detailed view, to an enlarged scale, of a further embodimentof incrementally adjustable setting device having a rotary indexableinput head; and,

FIG. 8 is a schematic side elevation of a still further embodiment ofadjustable setting devices, coupled together for joint actuation via alinearly adjustable input device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there will bedescribed an existing design of carding engine to which the inventionmay be applied and which is designated generally by reference 10, havinga main toothed cylinder 11, a taker-in 12, a doffer 13, and a revolvingflat assembly 14 positioned above the outer periphery of the cylinder 11in the region between the taker-in 12 and the doffer 13.

The revolving flats assembly 14 comprises a series of flats 15 which aremoveable along a working path 16 adjacent to the outer periphery 17 ofthe cylinder 11 to carry out a carding operation in cooperation with theteeth of the cylinder 11. FIG. 2 shows the way in which the movement ofthe flats 15 along the working path 16 is guided by use of a so-called"flexible bend" 18 on which run rollers 19 which support the flats 15via cradles 20.

The flexible bend 18 usually comprises a number of adjacent segments andis curved to correspond with the curvature of the cylinder 11, but smalladjustments will be made along the length of the flexible bend 18, inradial spacing from the axis 21 of the cylinder 11, to adjust theflats/cylinder clearance to any required value.

In the carding engine in FIGS. 1 and 2, upward (or downward) adjustmentof the flexible bend 18 takes place by operation of jacks 22 (see FIG.3) which react between a fixed part of the frame of the carding engineand the flexible bend 18. Only one jack 23 is shown in FIG. 3, but itshould be understood that these will be arranged at uniform spacingalong the length of the flexible bend 18 to allow small increments ofadjustment radially of the flexible bend 18 at desired positions alongits length.

The existing practice in determining the flats/ cylinder clearanceinvolves use of "feeler gauges" which are manually inserted between thefacing tips of the teeth of the flats 15 and the cylinder 11 at variouspositions along the working path 16. This technique suffers from thedrawbacks referred to in the introduction.

The jacks 23, or any other suitable mechanical device (not shown)comprise adjustment means which may be used to carry out initial settingof flats clearances of a carding engine according to the invention toany required pre-set or standardised values, and preferably inconjunction with a gauge, as described below. This will be done uponinitial installation of the carding engine after supply by themanufacturer, and subsequently whenever required.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, this shows part of a motordriven flats clearance setting arrangement according to the invention,and comprising a usual flexible bend 40, fixed bend 41, and adjustablesetting devices 42 arranged at positions spaced apart along the fixedand flexible bends, and operable to adjust the radial spacingstherebetween. A gauge 47 is also illustrated, and which will be usedduring the initial setting-up or standardisation of the flats clearance,by operation of any suitable mechanical adjustment means 41a mounted onthe fixed bend 41 to vary the spacing of the flexible bend 40. This willbe done during initial installation of the carding engine, orsubsequently whenever required. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectionalillustration of a detail part of the arrangement shown in FIG. 4, andcomprises an eccentric motor driven arrangement for adjusting thesetting of the flats clearances, by applying drive to adjust the settingdevices 42.

The individual motor driven adjustment devices will normally be "parked"in a fixed or neutral position while the setting of the flexible bend isbeing standardised. Ideally, they are "parked" in such a manner that anyadjustment is to increase the flats setting from an absolute minimumsafe setting which has been set by gauging. Thereafter, upon applicationof drive to the adjusting devices, a deviation from a standard can beobtained e.g. with a standard setting of flats to cylinder equal to0.010 inches, adjustment could be between -0.006 up to +0.015, or 0.004setting to 0.025 inch setting. Gauge 47 is used during the calibrationof the clearances, by measuring the spaces between the teeth of thecylinder and the teeth of the flats.

Each motor driven adjustment device is shown in FIG. 5, as referred toabove, and either may comprise its own stepping motor, or alternativelya common drive system may be coupled with a single motor input drive,and comprising e.g. a set of belts 44a and pulleys 44.

Regardless of the means adopted to apply power input to the individualadjusting devices, it will be seen from FIG. 5 that each adjustmentdevice includes a rotary adjusting shaft 43 driven by pulley wheel (orother rotary input) 44, and also includes an eccentric driving member45. Indexed or incremental adjustment by rotation of eccentric 45 causesgenerally radial adjustment of the adjacent region of the flexible bend40 relative to fixed bend 41, and consequential setting of a requiredflats clearance at that region.

Referring now to FIG. 6, this shows a type of flats clearance adjustmentwhich may be achieved using the apparatus according to the invention.If, for example a flats setting gauge 47 gives a readout directly offlat wire to cylinder wire setting, then pre-calibration may not benecessary. Also, each eccentric cam drive (45 in FIG. 5) can be drivenindependently by its own small motor, so that, for example, a taperedflat setting adjustment can also be obtained. Alternatively, if a flatsreadout is available, then continuous adjustment of the bend along thefull path of the flats is possible. FIG. 6 shows one preferred mode ofoperation, whereby the front end of the clearance gap is set at onesetting e.g. 0.006 inches, whereas the setting at the trailing end couldbe a larger setting e.g. 0.012 inches as shown.

Therefore, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 discloses apower-operated setting of the adjustment of the flats clearances, byproviding incremental adjustment of a number of setting devices whichare arranged at spaced apart setting locations with respect to theworking path of movement of the movable flats, whereby to providecontrolled adjustment of the flats clearances from clearance valueswhich can be pre-set e.g. by use of jacks 23 upon initial installation,or subsequently.

The incremental adjustment can be obtained whenever required, e.g. whendifferent material is to be worked, or to compensate for wear of theworking parts, or as required by the operator of the carding engine.Suitable indicators (not shown) will be provided to indicatepredetermined adjustment of flats clearance (from pre-set values) foreach increment of adjustment of an input heat of the setting devices.

Therefore, the setting devices are of a type that, for a given indicatedadjustment, there is a predictable adjustment movement from the pre-setvalues of the flats clearance.

FIGS. 4 to 6 disclose a power operated input arrangement for adjustingthe setting devices, but the invention is not restricted to poweroperated adjustment of the incrementally adjustable setting devices, andwhich also includes purely manual input to the setting devices, eitherindividually, or under joint actuation as required, and as will beapparent from subsequent description of further preferred embodiments ofthe invention.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention have the followingadvantages:

1. adjustment can take place while the machine is still running;

2. all of the flexible bend adjusters can be adjusted simultaneously, ifrequired;

3. adjustment may take place in response to variation in settingmonitoring e.g. as in some existing auto-monitoring arrangements;

4. adjustment can take place to suit different conditions.

Referring now to FIG. 7 of the drawings, this shows in more detail anincrementally adjustable setting device, and in which part of the fixedbend structure is designated by reference 60, and part of a segmented orflexible bend is shown by reference 61, which defines the working pathfor the movable flats of the revolving flats assembly, whereby eachflat, shown only schematically by reference 62, runs along the uppersurface of bend 61 via guide rollers 63.

Radial adjustment of each setting location, arranged along the length offlexible bend 61, can be achieved by operation of a mechanical adjuster64, mounted adjustably on the fixed bend structure 60, and engaging partof a bearing assembly 65 which supports the adjustment location offlexible bend 61, and also serves to provide a rotary mounting for anadjustment shaft 66. The bearing..assembly 65 and the adjustmentlocation of flexible bend 61 are capable of joint adjustment radially ofthe axis of the cylinder, in guides 67 carried by the fixed bendstructure 60.

Therefore, adjustment of mechanical adjuster 64 enables any desiredvalue of initial flats clearance to be pre-set, usually upon initialinstallation of the carding engine, or subsequently when required. Thus,adjusters 64 perform the function of the jacks 23 (FIG. 3) referred toearlier, and are incorporated in the setting devices which enablepredictable variation in flats clearances to be obtained from valuespre-set by the adjusters 64. However, when it is required to carry outincremental adjustment of the clearances from the pre-set values, thesetting device which is embodied within bearing assembly 65 can beoperated, by incremental adjustment, to provide controlled adjustment ofthe flats clearances. This is achieved by controlled angular incrementaladjustment of shaft 66, which can be achieved by a power input e.g. useof a stepping motor, or by manual adjustment of a micrometer typeactuator head (not shown). Shaft 66 drives an eccentric portion 68,which converts incremental angular input via shaft 66 into controlledradial adjustment of the flexible bend 61 via bearings 69 carried byshaft 66 and engaging with the underside of the flexible bend 61.

However, it should be understood that the invention is not restricted toangular incremental adjustment via an input head to the setting device,and other types of incremental input adjustment may be achieved, e.g. byuse of an arrangement shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 shows a series of angularly spaced mechanical adjusters 70, whichreact from a fixed bend structure (not shown in detail) in order toprovide circumferentially spaced separate adjusting locations along thelength of an adjustable bend structure shown generally by reference 71,and composed of separate bend segments 72 adjacent to each other, andadjusters 70 can be operated in order to set-up initial desired pre-setvalues of flats clearance along the working path of the flats. In thisembodiment, individual bend segments 72 are of rigid construction, butby virtue of the possibility of individual adjustment of each segment,an effectively "flexible" bend structure is provided.

However, to provide incremental adjustability of the flats clearancesettings, a linearly adjustable input arrangement is provided, and thiscircumferential linear adjustment along the working path is convertedinto generally radial adjustment of the individual setting devices andrelative to the fixed bend structure. Individual bend segments 72 areinterconnected by toggle links 73, and therefore circumferential inputto a common linear actuator (not shown in detail) e.g. at either end 74or 75 of the assembly of flexible bend segments 72, will result in jointradial adjustment of each segment 72. This is achieved by eccentric typeadjusters 76, which carry out controlled circumferential adjustment,directly corresponding to the circumferential movement of the actuator,and by contact with an adjusting tip of each adjuster 70, this causescorresponding generally radial adjustment of the associated end of thesegment 72 relative to adjuster 70.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 8 provides separate "toe" and "heel"adjustment of each flexible bend segment 72, but it is not essential tothe invention to provide dual adjustment of each segment. Each segmentmay be carried by a cradle type structure (not shown) and which appliesgenerally radial adjustment movement (inward or outward) of eachflexible bend segment 72, as a consequence of application ofcircumferential and incremental input adjustment movement applied to theassembly.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated herein, anyrequire pre-set clearances of the flats is obtained by adjusting thespacing between the fixed bend and the adjustable bend, at intervalsalong their length, using mechanical adjusters e.g. 23 in FIG. 3, or 64in FIG. 7, and generally in conjunction with use of a gauge (47).However, this invention includes the possibility of setting-up pre-setvalues using feeler gauge type techniques known per se.

I claim:
 1. A carding engine comprising:a main toothed cylinder; arevolving flats assembly comprising flats which are movable along aworking path adjacent to the outer periphery of the main cylinder inorder to carry out a carding operation in co-operation with the teeth ofthe cylinder; a fixed bend and an adjustable bend which are adjustablyinterconnected so as to define a required working path for the movableflats; adjustment means operative to vary a spacing between the fixedbend and the adjustable bend so as to enable any desired predeterminedclearance values to be pre-set between tips of the flats and the outerperiphery of the main cylinder; and a number of setting devices whichare arranged at spaced apart setting locations with respect to theworking path and which are operative to provide a predictable adjustmentmovement from the pre-set clearance values between the tips of the flatsand the outer periphery of the main cylinder set by said adjustmentmeans.
 2. A carding engine according to claim 1, in which each settingdevice is mounted at a respective setting location on the adjustablebend.
 3. A carding engine according to claim 1, in which each settingdevice has a controllable input which is indexed to provide controlledadjustment of the spacing between the fixed and the adjustable bend atthe respective setting location.
 4. A carding engine according to claim3, in which each controllable input comprises an angularly adjustableinput.
 5. A carding engine according to claim 4, in which the angularlyadjustable input comprises an indexed input head.
 6. A carding engineaccording to claim 3, in which each controllable input comprises alinearly adjustable input which is operable to convert linear adjustmentgenerally circumferentially of the working path into generally radialadjustment of the respective setting device relative to the fixed bend.7. A carding engine according to claim 6, in which the setting devicesare coupled together for joint actuation.
 8. A carding engine accordingto any one of the preceding claims, in which each setting device isindividually adjustable.
 9. A carding engine according to any one ofclaims 1, in which the setting devices are coupled together for jointadjustment via a single input.
 10. A carding engine according to claim8, in which the setting devices are manually adjustable.
 11. A cardingengine according to claim 8, including a power operated inputarrangement for adjusting the setting devices.
 12. A carding engineaccording to claim 1, in which said adjustment means comprisesmechanical jacks to vary the spacing between the fixed bend and theadjustable bend at predetermined positions along the length of theadjustable bend whereby to provide preset values of flats clearances.13. A carding engine according to any one of claim 1, including arespective adjuster incorporated in each setting device and operative toprovide pre-set values of flats clearances, from which pre-set valuespredictable adjustment can be obtained when required by operation of thesetting device(s).
 14. A carding engine according to any one of claims1, in which the adjustable bend is assembled from a plurality ofindividually adjustable bend elements.
 15. A carding engine according toclaim 14, in which each bend element is rigid.
 16. A carding engineaccording to claim 1, in which each setting device comprises aneccentric driving member coupled to a rotary adjusting shaft driven by arotary input which are operative to provide the predictable adjustmentmovement from the pre-set clearance values.
 17. A carding engineaccording to claim 16, in which incremental rotation of the eccentricdriving member causes radial adjustment of an adjacent region of theflexible bend relative to the fixed bend.